Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU?

57 replies

Beautyblogger · 03/08/2021 20:10

So as a birthday surprise my husband booked a table at our local gastro pub which we have been yo many times in the past, but not since it has been taken over by new people. Anyway he used the app to book and if only gave him a 9pm availability so we thought we would make a night of it and get there earlier for a drink first. So we got a sitter and arrived at about 8:15pm and ordered drinks to the table, as that’s what you have to do at the moment. When the drinks came we told the waitress that we were early for our 9pm table, she then gave us menus for us to have a look at and told us to take our time and come through and take a seat at any table when we were ready. At just after 9pm we made our way inside for our meal, after waiting a few minutes we got the attention of the waiter who came over to us, when we asked to order he told us that the kitchen shut at 9pm and would therefore we could not order food. I explained that we had booked a table for 9pm via their booking system and showed them the confirmation email, they went away giving us a thumbs up and we were left waiting a further 10 minutes. Eventually the deputy manager came over and explained that the booking system should not have allowed a booking for 9pm and that the kitchen was now closed so we could not be served. We asked what we were supposed to do as by now it was too late to go to another restaurant! We got an apology and was told that they would talk to the data company to make sure it didn’t happen again and offered us a free drink for the inconvenience. We told them that as they wouldn’t accommodate us we would have to now try and find somewhere else to eat even though by now most places would be shortly closing. They then said that at our convenience they would sort us out some drinks when we were next coming in and asked us to email us so they could sort that out for us. We left our details and ended up having to settle for takeaway fish & chips as that was the only thing open. Not exactly the romantic birthday celebrations planed! AIBU to of expected a more fitting compensation for effectively ruining my birthday?

OP posts:
HTH1 · 03/08/2021 20:56

If the waitress said come through when you’re ready, how come you didn’t just go through and order at 8.15?

HealthKick2021 · 03/08/2021 20:56

Out of interest, was the restaurant busy? If not, restaurants tend to close the kitchen early and if that's the case, they were using the app booking as an excuse. Leave a review.

clickychicky · 03/08/2021 20:57

[quote HTH1]If the waitress said come through when you’re ready, how come you didn’t just go through and order at 8.15?[/quote]
This is a good point. Why did you just sit there for 45 minutes when she said you could go through?

Waspsarearseholes · 03/08/2021 21:12

You're not looking to cash in...but you expected a free dinner. Ok.
You also left it until gone 9pm to go through to your table. So you were late. Had you have gone through at ten or five to nine after having had the menu for 40 mins your order may well have been accepted.

Original poster
Beautyblogger · 03/08/2021 21:36

@clickychicky
She also said that there was no rush and to take our time as the booking was for 9pm we finished our drinks first. We would have gone through earlier if we knew the kitchen was going to close.
.

OP posts:
Original poster
Beautyblogger · 03/08/2021 21:42

@Waspsarearseholes
No I never said we expected a free dinner a voucher towards it is not a free dinner. We went through at a couple of minutes past nine at the most. Yes we could of gone through earlier but we did not realise the kitchen was closing.

OP posts:
Original poster
Beautyblogger · 03/08/2021 21:45

@HealthKick2021
The pub was reasonably busy, there didn’t seem to be that many people eating mainly drinking.

OP posts:
GrrRightBackAtYou · 03/08/2021 21:46

[quote HTH1]If the waitress said come through when you’re ready, how come you didn’t just go through and order at 8.15?[/quote]
This^

she then gave us menus for us to have a look at and told us to take our time and come through and take a seat at any table when we were ready

I think she didn’t hear you say 9 & told you to go through when ready. As you had sat for 45 mins they all assumed you were just having a drink or you would have gone and sat down.They obviously had empty tables so why not just go through?

MintyGreenDream · 03/08/2021 21:49

I'd havs just seen it as a free pass to get pissed and get a takeaway after tbh

MintyGreenDream · 03/08/2021 21:50

have

20viona · 03/08/2021 21:50

That's rubbish service and really annoying. A shit trip advisor review should suffice.

gamerchick · 03/08/2021 21:53

[quote Beautyblogger]@Bluntness100
I am certainly not looking to cash in, i thought that they could of offered a voucher maybe towards a meal for another time[/quote]
So you wanted to cash in.

QueenBee52 · 03/08/2021 22:10

Cashing in would involve a demand for a substantial amount of money as opposed to a discounted meal.. 🤔

user1493494961 · 03/08/2021 22:11

I think it was very poor, I think a voucher towards another meal would have been in order.

clickychicky · 04/08/2021 08:01

@user1493494961

I think it was very poor, I think a voucher towards another meal would have been in order.
She has, free drinks at her next meal.
Cherrychocchip · 04/08/2021 18:26

I wouldn't be at all happy either OP and totally get where you're coming from. Before leaving a review I would email the pub and explain again exactly what happened and how disappointed you both were.
I would expect a discount off a future meal and a genuine apology as well as a free drink.
They've made 2 cock ups. Allowing an app to make a booking for an unsuitable time (why didn't any staff notice that on the app?) and the waitress failing to inform you the kitchen shut at 9.

SeasonFinale · 04/08/2021 18:33

@Planty13

How was your birthday ruined??? It was the end of the day? They apologised and offered free drinks which was kind of them and a take away sounds great.
They went out for a nice meal and ended up with just drinks! And a takeaway. Not the special birthday meal planned and expected
Givemebackmylilo · 04/08/2021 18:36

YANBU

I'm not quite angry and frustrated at the very poor service

Givemebackmylilo · 04/08/2021 18:36

I'd be*

bringmeanother · 18/11/2021 16:29

Am I being unreasonable to be annoyed with my DH. He never uses my name and doesn't have a diminutive or lovey dovey name for me. He refers to me by "you". To his work colleagues by phone I'm " the wife". Married over 20 years.

WomanStanleyWoman · 18/11/2021 16:36

@Aquamarine1029

Everyone is still alive and healthy. Your birthday wasn't ruined, fgs.
Is this where we’ve set the bar now? No one can complain or be annoyed about anything that doesn’t end with being maimed or with actual death?
TimeForTeaAndG · 18/11/2021 16:37

@bringmeanother start a new thread rather than replying to one that's months old.

bringmeanother · 18/11/2021 16:38

Sorry, will do

Cheeserton · 18/11/2021 16:44

I'd have said they owe you dinner really. Yes it was a systems error, but then shambolic to comment on being early for their 9pm without mentioning 9pm is actually a secret impossibility. Mistakes on mistakes with actually pretty significant inconvenience and disappointment. Pretty shit.

hangrylady · 18/11/2021 17:02

@QueenBee52

Leave a STINKING review on the APP

Happy Birthday OP 🌺🌸

Yes just what pubs and restaurants need after the past two years. Horrible attitude. It was an error, they were apologetic and you got free drinks, as PPs have said it's not the end of the world, nice night in the pub and fish and chips sounds good.
Swipe left for the next trending thread